Closure for envelopes or similar wrappers



L. A. OLIVE.

CLOSURE FOR ENVELOPES 0R SIMILAR WRAPPERS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6, I919.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. A. OLIVE.

CLOSURE FOR ENVELOPES 0R SIMILAR WRAPPERS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6,1919.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 LUIS annnva'r onivn,

memes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

it" a OF BARCELONA, SPAIN.

Patented Aumfid,

Application filed October 6, 1919. Serial No. 328,783.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that l, Lois AnNAvAr OLIVE, a citizen of the United States of America, resident at Barcelona, Spain, and at present in Habana, Cuba (whose post-oflice address is #96 Gervasio Street, Habana, Cuba), have invented certain new and useful improvements ina Closure'ior Envelopes or Similar iV rappers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to envelopes or similar wrappers, and particularly to the en velopes used for holding correspondence, and one or its objects is to provide a safety closure for that kind of wrappers, which should not be liable to being opened once closed unless by tearing out the envelope or wrapper and thus showing its violation. Another ob ect of the invention is to provide an envelope or similar wrapper wholly deprived of glue or paste and which is closed by means of a clasp of novel construction.

And another object of the invention is to provide an envelope formed by a blank of paper or oi any other similar material with parts that are bent and folded on each other,

' thus constituting a safety cover which preventsaccess to the correspondence or object wrapped, once the same is closed, and which is or an extensionnotlarger than that of the common envelope at present in use.

The invention described with reference to thefigures ot the a'i'm'exe'd drawings. of which:

Fig. 1 is a plan' view of the blank serving for forming the envelope or wrapper.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the blank showing raised up the central portion projecting from the lower portion oi? the back of the envelope and which carries the male pieceof the sealing clasp. I

3 is an elevation view showing folded and engaged'togetherthe two portions projecting laterally from the back of the envelope and upwardly raised the upper flaps which are engage dby the male piece or the sealing clasp.

Fig. 4: is a view similar to that ofFig. 3, but enlarged showing partially'bent down wards the upper flaps which are united together by the male piece oithe sealing clasp.

Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical section of theenvelope on line 5-5 of Fig. 4t, showing the same position of the parts.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation oftheenvelope completely closed.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section of the envelopeon' line 77 of Fig. 6. j

Fig. '8 is a horizontal section oithe envelope on line 8'8 of Fig. 4;.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are-perspective detail views showing respectively-a joining 'clip at the lower portion of the envelope, and the male and female pieces forming the sealing clasp ot the envelope.

The closure iormin'g'the subject-matter of this invent-ion is p'referably applied to an en velope formed by a blank of paper or of any other similar material divided byfolds and cutsin the following po'rtionsz'a baickl, a central portion 2 projecting from the lower part of the back, a ilap '3 projecting from the lower part ofsaid'c'entralportion 2, a flap r projecting from the upper part of the back 1, lateral portions 5 and 6 projectinglaterally from the back l"andwvhich"constitute the trout portion of the envelope, side flaps T and 8 projectingrespectively from said lateral portions 5' and 6, upper flaps 9 and 10 projecting respectii' elyfrom said'lateral portions 5 andG, and lower fiapsll' and 12 projecting respectively from said side'po'rtions 5 and (3. Each oneof'thenpper'tlaps 4t, 9 and lOhas'a small sl'ot13, 14 and 15 res pectivcly which correspond to each other in horizontal alinement. The side portions 5 and 6 have near its outer side edge asemicircular opening 16"'and 17 respectively, which are horizontally aline'd and correspond in like manner with, similar openings 18 and 19 formed in theside flaps 7 and8.

The central portion 2 alsopr'esents 'a"'semicircular opening 20 which is "in vertical alinement with the slot 130i the'upper'fia'p 4t. And the'lowe'r fiap 3has a narrow'and elongated horizontal opening 21 which is in vertical 'alinementwith openings 20 and-13, and small slot 3' in the same alinement.

By this blank the envelope is formed'in the i'ollowing manner- The central portion 2 is'raised "up until placing same parallel --to the back 1; then'the side portionsfiand 6 arefolded on portion 2, after having folded thereon the lower flaps l lfand 12, and said side I portions 5 and 6 are united togetherby folding one inside. Flaps 7 and 8 are also folded, as shown in Fig. 8, and the folded flaps are secured by means of a clip 22 whose ends close inwards through the fold formed by the side flaps 7 and 8 and through the central portion 2 as shown in Fig. 7. In these conditions the envelope is ready for receiving the correspondence or'other object to be wrapped betwen the central por-. tion 2 and the back 1, and in order to close same without the use of any glue or paste at all, it is proceeded to place thereon the sealing clasp which is formed by a male piece and a female piece which fit into each other once they are placed in position. The male piece of the clasp consists in a metal T- shaped strip 23 from whose head lead divergently downward two flexible shanks 24: and 25 and the strip 23 is widened at its lower end forming an extension 23 provided with two side perpendicular flanges 26 and 27 raised on the extension 23 and in the space formed between these flanges is lodged a flexible tongue28 formed by a cut in the same extension 23 and which normally is interior-1y raised on the'plane of said exten sion. The .female piece of the clasp consists of a metal T-shaped strip 29 whichis bent on itself at its head forming a fore flange 30 by means of which it is held in place, and said strip 29 is lowerly widened being integral with a small case 31 closed at all its sides excepting above and. below and which presents at its fore part a flexible tongue 32. formed by a cut in said fore part and which is normally raised inwardly on the plane of said fore portion.

The male piece of the clasp is placed in position by passing the extension 23 and the strip 23 through the registering small slots 13, 14, 15and 3 of the upper flaps 5, 9 and 10 and of the lower flap 3, from outside to inside, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, until being stopped by the head of strip 23, and then the oblique shanks 241 and 25 are bent over theedge of theunited flaps 4-, 9, 10 and 3, riveting same on itself in two or three points 33, whereby the lower end of the strip 23 remains hanging from said flaps. The female piece is placed by hanging it, inside the central portion 2, from the horizontal opening 21 through which is passed the pending flange 30 which is riveted on strip 23 in two or threepoints 34, and in this po sition the upper open portion of the small case 31'remains behindthe registering openings 20, 16 and 17, 18 and 19 respectively of the central portion 2, side portions 5, and 6 and side flaps 7 and 8. y

In order to close the envelope, it is only necessary'to pass the extension 23 of the male piece through the registering openings 20, .16 and 17, 18 and 19 and to insert said extension 23 inside thesmall case 31 of the emale piece until the flexible tongue 28 lope and the registering openings 2,16 and 17, 18 and 19 are hidden by the upper flaps, it is very difficult to introduce through the same the point of any sharp instrument such as a pin, needle, etc., to force out the separation of both tongues 28 and 32, unless by tearing out or breaking ofl" the edges 01": the upper flaps.

It is obvious that the upper flaps 3, 9 and 10 projecting from the central portion 2 and of the lateral portions 5 and 6 can be eliminated, and in such case the female piece of the clasp is to be hung from the upper edge of the'central portion 2, and at any rate the upper flap 4; could be made with an inward fold at its outer edge so as to impart more strength to same and prevent it from being easily torn out.

What I claim is: a I

1. A clasp comprising a member having a flexible central arm and a pair of side arms which converge to one end ofthe central arm, the opposite end of said central 2. An envelope having a doubled closingend, and av clasp comprising a member havmg a flexlble central arm and a pair of side arms which converge to one end of the cen- V tral arm, the opposite end of said central arm being widened, said widened end having side flanges and a locking tongue between and spaced from said side flanges, said member being secured to said doubled closing. end of the envelope by said flexible arm, and a second member in the envelope, the side of the envelope next the doubled closing end having an opening, and the central arm of the first named clasp member being inserted through said opening into the body of the envelope and its widened end being engaged with said second member, said. second member having a casing to receive said widened end of said arm and also having a locking tongue to coact with the first named locking tongue.

In witness whereof I aifix my signature.

LUIS ARNAVAT OLIVE. 

